Great tip to take from this ceremony: Pick a venue that is already has tons of character.

This helped me out a bit because I was worried about Boldt Castle being a public place, (it is an attraction for the area,) but for this wedding the visitors were not problem whatsoever. All of them were very polite and kept their distance, their presence was not noticeable during the ceremony at all. If you looked further into the gardens, yeah, people were there, but it didn't affect the mood of the event in any negative way.

Great tip to take from this ceremony: Don't be afraid to have the ceremony in a public place while it's in use. (Just make sure the proper measures are taken.)

There were musicians for the ceremony, a violin and a cello maybe? (I was too busy trying not to be late, lol) And they kept the ceremony short, which was very wise, since it was VERY warm and humid.

Also they were very courteous to their guests saying that it was a semi-casual affair, so the men didn't have to wear jackets. Some came with jackets anyways, to look nice and spiffy :)

Great tip to take from this ceremony: Realize the conditions of your location and try to be courteous to your guests. (i.e. No full Catholic masses outside in the hot sun! XD)

The bride and groom did the smart thing of only having one best man and one maid of honor, no other attendants. (Which saves money on corsages, bouquets, gifts for attendants, etc) But, to include other close family members, they had them do some small readings in the ceremony.

Great tip to take from this ceremony: Others can be included in the ceremony without being a groomsmen/bridesmaid.

Another great tip to take from this ceremony: Give out one program per couple, it will save on paper (and money) and everyone who really wants one has a memento, (I'm sure the date of your high school friend doesn't really want one...) and something to read beforehand.

The reception was at a beautiful hotel nearby, this place was so cute and quaint that it didn't need any decorations! It had a great old-fashioned vibe with a lot of nice modern touches. Even the chairs were stunning, nice dark wood chairs with pretty light blue cushions, so they didn't even need chair covers!

Since the guest list was small, they had the reception in a small dining room in the hotel, usually used for breakfast and whatnot. The only decorations that I saw where a white branch centerpiece to hold the cute bookmark placecards (the groom was very much into books,) and the centerpieces on the tables, which were books, with a teapot filled with flowers on top, accompanied by teacups with flowers in them on either side. But the great thing was that is all they needed!

Repeat great tip to take from this reception:Pick a venue that is already has tons of character.

The food fit the area of the wedding, great Southern cooking! :D It wasn't exactly buffet, but it wasn't individually served either. Servers walked along the tables and served each person from a big bowl of sweet potatoes, green beans, creamed spinach, etc. All the food was delicious, nothing really fancy, but it tasted great! The desserts were a bit more fancy, little truffles and cream puffs! Yum!

Great tip to take from this reception: Food suited for your particular theme might be cheaper than doing the normal sit-down meal.

Another great tip to take from this reception: If you are lucky enough, have a skillful friend make your cake. It was delicious and we had no idea until the couple thanked the friend during a toast, lol.

The drink selection was about 6-7 different types of alcoholic beverages, which included a couple beer and wine selections, and a specialty drink. It was a gin and toxic type drink, and it tasted great! I remember hearing the gin was specially made or something like that... Not to mention the cute little banners that were put in each one, saying "Enjoy!" and "Cheers!" :D

But I'm sure this helped their bar tab immensely, (only certain bottles were opened for certain drinks), and everyone could still drink and be merry!

Great tip to take from this reception: You can limit your alcoholic beverages, and if you pick them well, (i.e. make sure there's one great red wine, one great white wine, one or two great beers, etc), you save money and no one is the wiser!

They had an ipod for the reception playing during dinner, which goes on to probably the only negative to the reception venue, which was that there was not much room to dance. The couple had their first dance in an emptied-out room as others watched from the doorway before having dinner. So it was mostly mingling after dinner and cake was over. However since most of the guests rarely see each other in a big group, catching up was exactly what most wanted to do. So it worked!

Great tip to take from this reception: You don't have to do the normal "pattern" of a wedding if it doesn't work for you or your guests.

Just as a quick note, the bride looked gorgeous in a ivory, almost light yellow A-line spaghetti-strap gown, which was delicately decorated on top with a plain flowy skirt, and it looked lovely on her! The men wore gray suits with yellow shirts, if I'm not mistaken. (Note that the wedding colors were yellow and pink!)

Most of the out-of-town guests stayed at the hotel, and we received the cutest welcome bags ever! They were like pastel colored tiny suitcases, filled with sweets and a few small trinkets. They were really nice!

My bf and I had a fantastic time! Which leads me to my last tip...

Great tip to take from this wedding: A more intimate wedding can make you able to do what you want and make it all the more memorable and meaningful to you in the process.